Perfect Happiness
by wyredsisters
Summary: Just as Angel is about to have his soul removed in fourth season, Buffy shows up. Can they defeat they're foes together, without killing each other first? BA, CD.


A/N:  This is the second time we have posted this story.  So, if it looks familiar, it's possible that you read it the first time.  It's not quite as bad, but the plot is still the same.  Hope you enjoy it more than most people did the last one!

Disclaimer:  Sorry, but we're not Joss Wheadon.  He's way to smart to be us... okay, maybe he's too creative to be us.  Anyways, we don't own any of these characters.

BTW:  This story starts in fourth season of Angel.  The Shaman guy is about to take the soul from Angel.  It's the episode where they do that whole fake world stuff, if you remember it.  Yeah, this one's taking it's place

Okay, actual story here:

**Angel**

I lay chained to the table, waiting for the Shaman to finish his spell.  In a way, I hoped he didn't.  Becoming Angelus again was a fear that I had kept hidden inside of me since Buffy...  Even when Darla was around, I had been so frightened of what might happen.  And now that it was happening, I was terrified.

The Shaman spoke his words very quickly and without pause.  He repeated the words several times, each time an increasingly worried look.  After what seemed an eternity of chanting, he stopped.

"What's going on?" I asked, trying to strain my neck to see him.

I heard the mystical voice answer, "There is nothing that can be done."

"What do you mean?" Cordelia probed, sounding worried.

"I mean that the soul was not put in place by gypsies and therefore, cannot be removed.  I am sorry."

For a moment, I felt relief.  But then I realized something:  Now we were hopeless against The Beast.  Stupid Willow.  Why couldn't she be a gypsy?  This was all her fault.  "There has to be a way," I insisted.

"I'm afraid there is none."  I heard the Shaman picking up his things.  Then, a blast of bright blue light reached my eyes, most likely him teleporting out of the room.

"Damn it," Gunn said, followed by a thud which was most likely him kicking something.

"Now what are we going to do?" I heard Fred ask.

"Well, someone could untie me..." I suggested, being somewhat fed up with not being able to see what was happening very well.

I heard Wesley unlocking the door when another sound reached my ears:  Footsteps.

"There's someone upstairs," I said quickly.  I listened again.  "Lot's of people.  At least thirty.  Everybody hide!" I hissed.  They all scattered, hiding in different corners of the room.  I wasn't sure who it was upstairs, but I couldn't think of a reason why a bunch of people were in my hotel if it wasn't for a very sinister reason.

I heard the door creak open and one set of footsteps descended the stairs.  A familiar sent reached my nose and I realized who it was.  "Buffy?"

"Angel?  Why are you tied to a table?" I heard her familiar voice ask in her familiarly cute way.  I heard Cordelia, Gunn, Conner, Wesley and Fred coming out of their hiding places.

"What are you doing here?" asked Cordelia.  She didn't really sound bitter, just confused.

"We need your help.  Wow, that sounded so movie of the week," Buffy answered.

"Oh," Cordelia said.  "Well, we do have our own problems, you realize..."

"Yeah.  I did notice when I saw that there was no sun," Buffy answered with a bit of an edge on her voice.

"Can I interrupt for a second?" Gunn asked suddenly.  "Who are you?"

"She is just what we need," answered Wesley.  "A Slayer."

"Oh.  So this is the famous Buffy," Gunn said, pulling everything together.  He is a little slow, after all.

"Hi, I'm Fred."  I heard Fred moving towards the sound of Buffy's voice  "It's nice to finally meet you."

"You too," Buffy said.

Yes, this was all very sweet, but they seemed to have forgotten that I was tied to a table.  "Can someone untie me, please?"

"Oh.  Right," Wesley said, and I heard his hurried footsteps go to the door of the cage.  As the key fumbled with the lock, Buffy began to speak again.

"I'm  not sure who's in more trouble at the moment, Sunnydale or LA, but it's not looking good for either at the moment," she said.

"Tell me about it," I answered, finally able to stand up as Wesley had cut the ropes that were holding me down. "We've got an invincible demon, no sun, and very pale tourists making it an all-you-can-eat fest."

"It's worse than that," Buffy replied.  I noticed how much older she looked now.  I hadn't seen her since her since she came back from the dead, and she had been wreck then.  But now, she just looked strong.  "Much worse.  That demon, I'm betting, is just something to keep you guys busy so you won't notice the real problem."

"What's that?"  asked Conner, his usual suspicious voice aimed at Buffy.  I'm not sure how much he knew about her, because I never mentioned anything about her.  But maybe one of the others talked about her.

Buffy turned to him.  "The First Evil," she said simply.  Conner nodded, but I'm sure he had no idea what it was.  I remembered it all to well.

"You brought some reinforcements, I presume?" Wesley asked, probably remembering all those people upstairs.

"Yes,"  she answered.  "Giles, Willow, Xander, Spike, Anya, and Dawn are upstairs.  Along with  Andrew and about two dozen potential slayers."

"Spike?" I asked.  "You brought Spike?  You are aware that he's most likely planning to kill us all in our sleep, aren't you?"

"He is not.  Don't worry about him," Buffy said, as if harboring a murderer meant nothing.

"How did you come across two dozen potential slayers?" Wesley asked.

"Long story," Buffy said.  "I'll explain everything once we get upstairs.  The guys need to know what we're up against too."  So, she led the way back up the stairs, followed by us. There were about thirty people squeezed into the lobby.

A bunch of girls that I didn't recognize were spread out all across the room, standing in small groups, all carrying small bags of what they could pack at a minutes notice.  Willow stood apart from the group with Xander talking.  Spike stood awkwardly in the corner.  Giles was at the counter looking at their books.  And a blonde boy was attempting to make coffee.

Spike had a funny look when he turned to Buffy.  A strange gleam in his eye.  One that he usually only had when looking at Drusilla...

"Found them," Buffy said shortly as we entered the room.

It seemed as if we were divided by an invisible wall, with Buffy standing in the middle.  I knew some of the people over there, so did Wesley and Cordelia, but no one else did.  It was a little awkward.  That is, until the blonde boy crossed the invisible barrier.

"Hi."  He walked up to me and extended his hand.  "I'm Andrew, the hostage.  I'm guessing by your muscularness that you must be Angel."

I stared at him.  This guy seemed to be nuts.  And possibly gay.  But I did reach out and shake his hand.  Thankfully, Buffy started to explain the situation then, so I didn't have to make conversation with Andrew.

"All of you know what you were facing before," she started.  "But none of you know what we're facing now.  The Uber-Vamps aren't the only servant of the first.  It also has a very big demon-"

"The Beast," I interjected.

"The Beast," she said, shooting me a strange look, "that will attempt to kill us as well.  At the moment, it has swallowed the sun."

"Ouch," said Andrew.

"So," she continued.  "Here's what I suggest we do.  Giles and Wesley can be research guys-"

"I think you should know, Buffy, that things are not as they used to be," Wesley interupted.  "You cannot just come in here and take over things."

"Can I take over here, Angel?" she asked, a biting tone in her voice as she turned to me.

"Wesley's the boss," I said, with much pleasure at the expressing on her face.

Buffy's eyes widened. "Oh."

"Fred, why don't you help Mr. Giles?  I'm sure he could use the assistance.  Conner, you and Gunn can go patrol.  If that's alright?" Wesley said, with much satisfaction in his voice.

Gunn nodded, and Conner gave his usual insolent glare.

Buffy seemed to have decided that she was probably still in charge of the people from Sunnydale.  "Girls, you need to find a place to train.  Angel, have any suggestions?"

"There are some things down in the basement.  Just don't fool around with the cage," I answered, though not sure what these teenagers could do.  They didn't have any special powers yet, after all.

"Spike, keep an eye on them.  Willow, if you could hit the net, it would be very helpful."

Willow nodded at Buffy's request while Spike muttered,  "I'm just a glorified babysitter."

This was where I drew the line.  "You can't ask a dangerous vampire to watch over some helpless girls!  What are you thinking?"  I'm sorry, but she was just being dumb.

"Thank you for your opinion," she said in a cold voice.  "But who looks after the girls is my decision, isn't it?"

I hate it when she's right.  "Still he's dangerous," I pointed out.

"He is not.  He's perfectly harmless," Buffy argued.

"I am not!" Spike yelled.  "I could rip out any of their throats whenever I feel like it.  Unfortunately, I would feel rather guilty," he said, his voice dropping.

"He got a soul," explained a girl who I recognized as Xander's girlfriend.  Or, she was when I helped them fight of the Spirits on Thanksgiving three years ago.  Wait, Spike got a what?

"Sure he does," Cordelia said, taking the words right out of my mouth.

"I do!" Spike protested. 

"He does," Buffy said, a finality in her voice. "Just go watch them, please, Spike.  Dawn, you want to watch Evil Boy?"

"No," Dawn said bluntly.  I knew I liked her.

"Please?" Buffy said, sounding as if she was trying to suppress her anger.

Dawn let out a frustrated groan and stomped through a doorway, followed by Andrew.

"Great," he was saying.  "Maybe we can find a kitchen.  I'm hungry."

Wesley, however, was continuing to order people.  "Fred, you can help Willow with the internet research, if you want.  Cordy... Why don't you help the potential slayers train."

"And make sure Spike doesn't kill them all," I muttered.

Buffy rolled her eyes at my statement.  "Xander, Anya, can you go help the research.  Let's not make Giles do it all by himself."

"That's where I'm off to as well," Wesley said.  "Angel, why don't you exchange strategies with Buffy?" he finished.  Everyone slowly exited, going off to do their duties.  Everyone, that is, except for my son.

"Conner, why are you still here?  Wesley told you to go out.  Go kill things," I said, not really wanting to have a fight.

"I hate taking orders from him.  He's a moron," Conner said, glaring.  "I'd rather be fighting with a more interesting person than Gunn, anyways."

"Conner, we don't have time for this.  Could you just-"  Unfortunately, I was interrupted.  It's probably for the best; he wouldn't have listened to me anyways.

"Why don't you go fight, or I throw you through that wall," Buffy threatened.  "We need to stop this thing.  If you're not on board, we don't need you."

Conner walked up to Buffy.  He looked down at her, as he was a couple of inches taller and said, "I could take you."

"No.  You really couldn't," she said, returning his glare.

Conner spun on his heel and went into the kitchen.  I have no idea where he gets any of that, you know.  Neither Darla or I acted like that.

"He went the wrong way," I muttered, before realizing that for the first time in a year and a half, Buffy and I were alone.  "So..." I started, not really sure what I was going to say at all.

"What was up with that kid?  Why do you keep him around?" Buffy asked, her voice strong.

I knew that question was coming.  "Yeah... well... see, he's my son."

Buffy raised her eyebrows.  "Oh really?"

"Yeah.  It's this whole prophecy thing," I tried to explain.

"Who's the mother?"  Buffy shot that question as if from a gun.

"Darla," I said with a sigh.  I was hoping that we wouldn't have to go through any of this.

"Darla!  Didn't you kill her?" Buffy said, finally raising her voice.

"Long story," I said simply.

"Long story?  You want me to just take that as your answer?" she yelled.  
  


"Like you haven't used it at all during this.  Darla was brought back by Wolfram & Heart, a demonic law company.  They did it try to turn me evil and it almost worked," I answered, trying to keep my voice normal.

"Sure," Buffy said, sarcastically.  She started to walk away, but quickly turned back and began to yell again.  "You know, I can't believe this.  You come out here, sleep with an evil vampire, have a son, and then lock yourself in a cage, and I'm supposed to take all of it?" she shouted, the last part turning into a question.

"Just like I'm supposed to believe that Spike suddenly has a soul?  That he's now become your prize babysitter?  That he's fallen completely in love with you?"  Okay, I tried not to yell, but the last part did get rather loud.

"That's..." Buffy started out yelling, but the accusation seemed to have taken her a little off guard.  "That's completely irrelevant."

"It is relevant.  It's everything.  It just proves that I don't know you anymore.  And you certainly don't know me," I used my coldest voice when saying that.  Then I turned my back, and went into my room to brood.

A/N: Did you like it?  If anyone read the first edition, did you think it was better?  We hope so.  More will come, as we have most of it written, and we just need to edit it.  Oh, and do you think the characters sounded like themselves?  We have a hard time imitating they're voices (see disclaimer, we are not Joss) so your feed back would be appreciated.  That's all!


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